Road to Nowhere
by lala-licious
Summary: How can he let the elf-girl take the death-bound train herself? Thus began their partnership in an RPG game world. Fantasy AU. Soul, Maka
1. Chapter 1

The train rumbles on its tracks.

The girl with blonde pigtails and moss-green eyes – Maka – swings her legs idly before jumping to stand. The train slows and halts for Maka to board. Soul eyes her curiously, and with a bit of fear.

"I'll be going now, Soul." She says.

No one that ever boards this train returned back, and with good reason – its end destination is a village of monsters.

She is such a petite thing, dwarfed by even her armour and weapons, Soul noticed. So why is she boarding that train?

Soul swore just as her lips breathe a final farewell and the doors began closing.

He dashed in.


	2. Chapter 2

Maka eyes him curiously, but not without a bit of glee.

"You're coming too?" She chirps happily.

Soul took a moment to orientate himself – what did he just do? He was talking to the girl on the platform. Then the train came and she boarded it. Then – then he, Soul groans into his hand, he had boarded the train too.

"Yeah," he cheers unenthusiastically, slouching into the seat.

As the train enters a pitch-black tunnel, Soul finds dark humour in the weakly flickering lights. They resemble his current dismal mood.

The girl beside him hums cheerfully, "Let's be partners, okay?"


	3. Chapter 3

The door of the death-bound train opens to menacing noises and eyes that glow crimson.

Maka lightly hops of the train, eyes burning, fearless and eager. Maka wasted no time in drawing her sword.

The monsters surround their entrance.

The swing of her sword was as swift as it is precise, Soul witnessing the cold blade and the arc it created.

The angry growls grow in volume as the defeated monster shattered into glowing glass-shards. Meanwhile, the girl's movements grow swifter, and increasingly accurate; a deadly dance.

He swore.

Watching Maka raises goose-bumps on his arms, spurring Soul into action.


	4. Chapter 4

Without looking, Soul can tell that the girl's eyes are shining in adrenaline and wonder. It is rare to come across someone who's a weapon-human hybrid.

Soul's shoulder morphs into a curved blade, its black-and-red colour scheme as ominous as the sharp and cold sheen the blade exudes.

He jumps to sever the bulky limb (_as soft as butter_) before it could reach Maka. Glass-shard of light (_destroyed monster_) brings Maka back.

There was a pause as the monsters surveyed their not-so-hapless meals.

As he rejoins the elfin girl, back-to-back against each other, Soul asks, "Can you handle this (_me_)?"

Without looking, Maka can tell the smirk gracing his face.


	5. Chapter 5

In her left, Maka held her sword. In her right, she held human-turned-scythe Soul.

"What the hell?" Soul growled.

Maka hummed, words on her lips waiting to spill. Without warning, a crazed grin worked their way on her face as she rushed in headfirst.

With her left-side sword to parry the monster's fist, Maka swung out of the way to prevent being thrown back. Her right moved in to slice the thick trunk-like hand.

Soul watched, fascinated. Complaint and warning died in his throat.

The crazed grin lapsed to a deadly serious one.

Like this, the girl cleared their arena.


	6. Chapter 6

Sweat shines on their temples and drenches their clothes. He's panting, although not as heavily as Maka.

They stand in isolation. The glowing shards of downed monster blink and disappear like dying embers.

Until the ground trembles and a deep rumble assaulted their hypersensitive ears. Here Daddy comes, Soul snarks internally.

Maka's eyes grow cold even as she offers a shy chuckle. "Maybe I went overboard a bit, trying to impress you."

Soul stared. Then laughed. He extends his hand out for her.

"Cool," Soul acknowledges, amused. "Partner."

The girl with blonde pigtails and moss-green eyes stands and holds his proffered limb. She smiles.

"Time to hunt Daddy," Maka utters.


	7. Chapter 7

The monster looked big and heavy, yet it moved quickly despite its bone-hard armour and bulky body.

Its tail strike the ground once, twice, thrice, before the appendage swept out to lash at the pair.

The scythe swore as Maka was thrown back. He hugged her body protectively as his back met the ground painfully instead. "Y'kay?" Soul groaned as she rolled her weight away.

She nodded and explained offhandedly, "I managed to jump back before the tail hit."

"Don't worry about a few scratches," Soul assured, "What I'm worried about –"

"–is getting close." Maka finished for him.


	8. Chapter 8

Maka frowned at the weight of the scythe on her hands. She is worried about Soul, but if he is so adamant about clearing this stage… The girl pursed her lips.

_(10 steps)_

Instead, she confessed, "I've never wield a scythe before."

_(9 steps)_

"Never? You just did though." A crooked grin made its way on his face, "Although it's more like waving a machete about."

_(7 steps)_

The girl tightened her grip, lips pursed.

"Okay, okay, jokes aside," Soul placates, "Wanna Resonate?"

_(5 steps)_

Maka hums and Soul can picture her assessing pros and cons. He is surprised she knew of Resonance. Shrugging, Soul eye the distance between them.


End file.
